2014-15 Nathan’s Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest Circuit category

First 15 2017-18 Nathan’s qualifier winners

Fields for Saturday’s Nathan’s qualifiers have been announced: Jim Reeves and Crazy Legs Conti are expected at the St. Louis Cardinals ballpark while Steve Hendry and Mary Bowers will compete in Vallejo, CA. Katie Prettyman of Seattle will also compete.

This will probably make Gideon Oji and Yasier Salem the favorites for the final two qualifiers in Washington, DC and Queens, NY next weekend. Nick Wehry could be a dark horse.

Here are the qualifier winners for the previous 15 qualifiers in the 2017-18 circuit:
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The Brooklyn Paper has an interview with Joey Chestnut, who partially attributes his 2015 Nathan's finals loss to the breakup of his relationship with Neslie Ricasa after their engagement during the 2014 Nathan's finals.
Takeru Kobayashi is not the only person to be arrested in conjunction with the Nathan's finals. Motherboard.Vice.com reports David Quinones was jailed for five hours for flying his drone near (but not over) the 2015 Nathan's finals. Even though he was never charged, the FAA suspended Quinone's license for his manned plane.
Collectively Free, an animal rights protest group that stormed the Nathan's finals stage between the women's & men's Nathan's finals last year, disrupted the Easter Mass service at St. Patrick's Cathedral in New York City. The rationale for the disruption was the use of ham as a common Easter meal.
Matt Stonie's Nathan's finals victory makes Newsday's list of notable firsts in sports for 2015.
Zagat produced a behind the scenes video recorded at this year's Nathan's finals starring Yasir Salem and Crazy Legs Conti. Fink Beats the Stomach makes a cameo.

Gideon Oji in Sports Illustrated



Nels Popp has a screenshot
of the Faces in the Crowd page in the latest issue of Sports Illustrated magazine featuring Gideon Oji’s Nathan’s performance. (via Beth Cianfrone)

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MercuryNews.com has an article and gallery about the parade held to celebrate Matt Stonie's Nathan's victory in San Jose yesterday.
SportsTVRating has the viewership numbers for Saturday's televised sports. The rating for the live Nathan's brpadcast on ESPN2 was 0.4 (highest of the day) and the audience was 1,129,000 (second to primetime NASCAR race). The combined audience for the 4 showings of the finals on July 4 ws 2.38 million.
TheDodo.com has a report on the animal rights protest after the conclusion of the men's Nathan's finals claiming that Michelle "Cardboard Shell" Lesco and Tim "Eater X" Janus shoved some of the activists and took their signs.

Matt Stonie defeats Joey Chestnut to break 8 year Nathan’s streak

Video of entire finals

Video of protest
by Collectively Free (CF) and Direct Action Everywhere (DxE)

Full Official Results Part 1 | Part 2
1) Matt Stonie 62, personal best
2) Joey Chestnut 60, 8 year streak ended
3) Tim “Eater X” Janus 35.5
4) Erik Denmark 33
5) Adrian Morgan 31
6) Yasir Salem 30
7) Geoff Esper 29.5
8) Juan “More Bite” Rodriguez 28
9) Eric “Badlands” Booker 24.5
10) Pablo Martinez 22
11) Steve Hendry 21.75
12) Crazy Legs Conti 19.5
13T) Brian Dudzinski 19
13T) Gideon Oji 19
15) Jeff Butler 17
16) Nate Biller 16

Matt Stonie has upset Joey Chestnut 62 to 60

ESPN Stats & Info has an analysis of Joey Chestnut’s streak.

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Miki Sudo defends Nathan’s womens title

Official results have been posted Part 1 | Part 2

WNEP has an article
about Larell Marie saying she got 6th

Video of the final 2 minutes of the women’s contest. Juliet Lee appears to have finished 3rd and Michelle Lesco 4th.

The top 2:
1) Miki Sudo originall y 37 (officially 38)
2) Sonya Thomas 34
3) Juliet Lee 27.5
4) Michelle Lesco 26
5) Larell Marie Mele 16.75
6) Meredith Boxberger 16.5
7) Nela Zisser 16 (probable Oceania record)
8) Danielle Gioia 15
9) BeeJay Alexander 13
10) Carlene LeFevre 11
11) Lesley Ryder 10.5
12) Liz McClurg 8.5
13T) Mary Bowers 8
13T) Crystin Pactor 8
13T) Marlene Wigginton 8
16) Angie Hendry

Qualified, did not compete: Mia Davekos, Dee Martin, Brandi

Miki’s official total seems to be 38. The gambling over/under for winning total was 37.5, so anyone who bet the under is probably rather upset.

I have not been able to find list of which qualifiers are actually present in Brooklyn. Dee Martin is in Atlanta, so she will not bbe competing.

ESPN3 webstreaming has started
. Miki Sudo has her own camera.

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STLSportsPage has interviews with Juan Rodriguez and Marlene Wigginton about representing St.Louis in the Nathan's finals.
The Daily Beast has a report on lunching with Nela Zisser, whoi is a choice in the new poll asking who is the finals newcomer most likely to win money (top 5 finish).
The Reporter has an article about Steve & Angie Hendy.

Joey Chestnut vs Matt Stonie / Miki Sudo vs Sonya Thomas breakdowns

Here are some reasons why Joey Chestnut, Matt Stonie, Miki Sudo and Sonya Thomas might win tomorrow

Pro Joey Chestnut

  • Has 8 Nathan’s totals (2 in 12 minute contests) better than Matt Stonie’s personal best of 56
  • Managed to hit 60 hot dogs 2 years after first Nathan’s contest, something Matt Stonie has failed to do in 5
  • Has managed to pull out of mid-season slumps by July 4 in previous years

Pro Matt Stonie

  • Undefeated in 2015
  • Has defeated Chestnut 2 of the last 3 times he has faced him by large margins (22.2 – 15.25 gyros, 120 – 85 Twinkies
  • Joey Chestnut has lost 2 of his last 3 contests, including a defeat to Adrian Morgan for the first time in his career

Pro Miki Sudo

  • Only woman to exceed 37 since 2012
  • Sonya Thomas has not eaten more than 28 hot dogs since 2013
  • Has won significantly more money than Sonya Thomas since July 5 ($14,950 vs. $2,400)

Pro Sonya Thomas

  • Only woman to ever do 41 or more hot dogs
  • Miki Sudo is winless since her 2014 Nathan’s victory
  • Beat Miki Sudo badly in her last 2 contests at the Buffalo Wing Festival in August

Head to head results for Joey Chestnut vs. Matt Stonie and Sonya Thomas vs. Miki Sudo from the past two years follow after the jump.

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Vocativ has a post titled: "Bloated But Loaded: Is A Competitive Eating Career Worth Stomaching?" with quotes from Joey Chestnut, Matt Stonie and Miki Sudo.
IBTimes.com has an interview with Tim "Eater X" Janus, who says that he has curtailed his training and plans to retire from competitive eating and leave New York City at the end of 2016. Scout.com also has an interview with "Eater X" and USA Today's For the Win Has a video of his hot dog techniques.
The Huffington Post has a profile of Eric "Badlands" Booker claiming he has competed in every Nathan's final since 1997. (He missed 2007 and 2011).
Patch.com has an article about Steve and Angie Hendry competing in the Nathan's finals.

Unofficial 2015 Nathan’s finals roster

An unofficial list of people with a spot in the 2015 finals follows. George Shea said that he expects Sonya Thomas at the finals, so that resolves the question if she has received a bye.
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Observer.com reports Mayor de Blasio will leave tomorrow for a vacation in the western United States. This will make the traditional weigh-in of the Nathan's finalists at City Hall the first I can remember. update The weigh-in will take place at the Brooklyn Borough Hall.
Sonya Thomas did not compete in any 2014-15 Nathan's qualifier. She might be getting a bye (Kobayashi received byes in 2008 & 2009), but did not seem to have one in May when she was announced as an expected entrant in the Charlotte qualifier.

2015 Cleveland Nathan’s qualifier

update Jul 1 Joseph Cerulli has a contest video

update
1) Jeff Butler 22
2) Ronnie Hartman 20

1W) Liz McLurg 8.5

Ronnie Hartman and Scott Thomas appeared on Fox 8 this morning. Jeff Butler also is expected to compete.

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2015 Sonoma Raceway Nathan’s qualifier

update Jul 3 SonomaNews.com has an article.

update Rico Ramirez has a video

Results Part 1 | Part 2

1) Brian Dudzinski 21
2) Darren Turbeville 13
3) Tony Pirc 11
4T) Joe Pistoia 10
4T) Jon Davis 10

1W) Lesley Ryder 8

Brian Dudzinski is the favorite.

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